The EXARC Show

We are joined by two archaeologists from the Putting Life into Late Neolithic Houses project discussing all the methods they’re using to create a picture of the past, from full scale reconstruction to microwear analysis.  Annelou van Gijn is Professor of Archaeological Material Culture and Artefact Studies at Leiden University and the Principal Investigator for Putting Life into Late Neolithic Hou...

It's the first Friday of the month! And that means it's time to listen in to the latest episode of Finally Friday, where this month we will be talking with archaeologists specialised in human-animal relationships in the past, and indigenous archaeology. Have you always wanted to know how people become zooarchaeologists? What it's like studying ancient animals in remote locations lik...

Combining expertise from farmers, historians, scientists and more , A Year on the Field is an exciting new multi-national project set up to examine the farming of one crop across the globe through the centuries. Claus Kropp is the Project Coordinator for A Year on the Field and currently also manages the Lauresham Laboratory for Experimental Archaeology, in Germany, one of the participating organi...

Listen in to this first episode of "EXARC Extracts", where we provide you with a short summary of the articles in the latest issue of the EXARC Journal. From fire hearths to horse armour to amber to lime mortar, this edition is packed full with interesting experiments and inspiring discussions! Matilda Siebrecht summarises the reviewed articles from the 2022/1 issue of the EXARC Journal....

Saddle up, because it’s time to look at horse riding in (pre)history! Equestrianism often has to be looked at indirectly, either from the equipment used in horse riding or artistic depictions of riding styles. In this month’s episode of Finally Friday, we talk with two experts who look at horse riding in the past in just this way. Dr Rena Maguire is a visiting researcher at Queens University Belfa...

Academic journals are an integral element of how we share knowledge of new discoveries, practices, and ideas. But how do these journals get started, what kinds of difficulties do they face and why do we need new ones? In this month’s episode of Finally Friday, our guest speakers discuss their experiences in founding new academic journals. Martina Revello Lami is an archaeologist and guest research...

 Ready player 1? Archaeological interpretation is often focused on the physical objects from our past, either in excavation, replication through experimental archaeology, or exhibition in museums. But what other ways are available to interact with the past? In this month's episode of Finally Friday, we speak with two experts focusing on the exciting new ways that videogames can be used in arc...

From drinking vessels to jewellery, glass is found in archaeological assemblages all over the world. Our guests Sue Heaser and Frank Wiesenberg join us on this month’s episode of Finally Friday to shed light on how experimental archaeology can help us ask new questions of this important material.  Sue Heaser is an archaeologist, artist and author with specialisms in hot glass beadmaking. Her exper...

A universal experience, hair has often formed a fundamental part of human self-expression and identity. But how can we see changes in hairdressing and styling throughout history and how can experimental reconstruction help us start creating a picture of the people of the past? Our guests Janet Stephens and Dorothee Olthof join us on this month’s Finally Friday to discuss their experiences understa...

Striving for sustainability is increasingly important in both archaeology and experimental archaeology. EXARC actively promotes the sharing and adoption of sustainable practices by its members. In today’s conversation Maria Josefina Villanueva talks to Tammy Hodgskiss , curator at The Origins Centre, a museum on the campus of the University of the Witwatersrand in South-Africa. Tammy gives us valu...

Experimental archaeology doesn't always happen on land - sometimes it takes to the seas! In this month's episode of Finally Friday, our guest speakers discuss some of the ways that experimental archaeology can be used to explore the theme of maritime cultural heritage.  Dr Tríona Sørensen is an experimental archaeologist currently working as a curator at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskild...

Pyrotechnology – the manipulation and control of fire – is one of the defining characteristics of humanity, and has impacted nearly every technology that we used in the past and study archaeologically in the present. Our guests Dragoş Gheorghiu and Femke Reidsma join us for May’s #FinallyFriday to shed light on this ubiquitous but taken-for-granted subject.  Professor Dragoş Gheorghiu is a profess...

Experimental archaeology helps us to understand our human past, and it’s a research approach which grows every year all over the world. But how are experimental archaeologists establishing themselves in countries where the approach hasn’t been used so often? What kinds of questions are they asking and what difficulties do they need to overcome? This podcast features Shanti Pappu and João Carlos Mo...

“Sustainability” is a term that’s heard everywhere, and can apply to every part of our lives. But how can archaeology and heritage, which are generally involved with events and technology from the past, contribute to current climate issues? Guests Sarah Sutton and Kirsten Dzwiza share their complementary approaches in using ideas and depictions from the past to deal with present environmental issu...

Creating digital events from scratch can seem like a daunting prospect. EXARC has navigated this process a few times thanks to the difficulties of 2020. The team of behind-the-scenes volunteers and staff sit behind the microphone to share some of their insights about the successes and pitfalls of preparing and hosting digital events. Join host Olalekan Salami as he explores what it has taken to tr...

Open-air museums are always looking for ways to engage the public. What is the best way to offer visitors a glimpse into the past? How can open-air museums be used to address issues of interpretation and social responsibility in the modern world? Luke Winter and Zsolt Sári discuss their views on how museums can engage with the public, providing authentic storytelling, and the social responsibility...

Pottery is one the most ubiquitous artefacts we recover archaeologically and is often the backbone of chronologies for understanding past cultures, but what if there’s a bigger story that it can tell us? Caroline Jeffra and Richard Thér join us for October’s #FinallyFriday to dive deep into the archaeology of technology. In this episode of The EXARC Show , we explore the world of possibilities tha...

Interpretation is a fundamental part of how we communicate heritage to the public, but what does the term ‘interpretation’ actually mean? Peter Inker and Angela Pfenninger join us in our next #FinallyFriday Show to explore the world of interpretation. Dr Peter Inker is a Board Member of EXARC and has been at Colonial Williamsburg for the last 13 years, focusing much of his attention on virtual and...

This episode of The EXARC Show includes a great discussion about textile archaeology from Early Medieval Britain and Iron Age Slovenia with guests Alex Makin and Ronja Lau. Tune in as host Matilda Siebrecht talks to our guests about some new ways that textiles are being studied, the limitations of the archaeological record, the diversity of the world in the past, and the many ways that experimenta...

This episode of The EXARC Show features Finally Friday guests Lara Comis and Simon Wyatt for “Sounding Out the Past". We have two different perspectives on the topic of sounds this month, Lara focusing on collecting ambient sounds relating to archaeological open air museum activities and crafts, and Simon exploring musical instruments of the past. Host Matilda Siebrecht listens in as our gues...

This episode of The EXARC Show features Finally Friday guests Theresa Emmerich Kamper and Ian Dennis for “Tanning, Tools, and Talking”. Our guests this month bring a wealth of skills to the workshop, and have spent years teaching those skills. Host Matilda Siebrecht talks our guests through the value that hands-on expert knowledge brings to experimental archaeology. Tune in for further chat about...

The EXARC Show is pleased to present Caitlin Southwick and Rebecca Thonander’s workshop from the digital conference “Documentation Strategies in Archaeological Open-Air Museums” on 26 March 2020. Our guests talk us through some of the ways that museums as well as individual archaeologists can bring sustainability into our everyday professional practices. Tune in for discussion about the UN Sustain...

This episode of The EXARC Show features Finally Friday guests Maeve L’Estrange and Farrell Monaco for “History in Bite-Sized Chunks”. Our host Matilda Siebrecht moderates a discussion about the bitter challenges and tasty triumphs of the archaeology of food – specifically bread – in different archaeological contexts. Tune in for a discussion which touches on the variable nature of the archaeologic...